Another Kind of Love
by VGWrighte
Summary: Sam was in limbo. Homeworld Security was still deciding what to do with her. She had just come home from Atlantis. Commanding SG-1 seemed like a step backward. She had already been to Groom Lake. And they weren't quite ready to give her a star and make her the CO of SGC. And she was still waiting for Jack. Sam/Teal'c
1. Chapter 1

Another Kind of Love

Based upon Stargate SG:1 and Stargate: Atlantis

Takes place immediately after Sam gets sent home from Atlantis

Author's Note: I've been thinking about this one for a long time. I wanted to write something that was a little less "Head over Heels." Frankly, I'm not sure if Sam/Teal'c OR Sam/Jack fans are going to be entirely pleased with this one.

\- - Washington, D.C. - -

Sam didn't like her apartment. Yes, she was glad that she was renting a fully furnished apartment on a month-to-month basis instead of moving all her things from storage. But she didn't like her apartment. She didn't like the couch, she didn't like the arrangement of the living room, she didn't like the bed, the night stands, or the vanity.

She just didn't like it.

Sam did realize that a lot of it probably had to do with her restlessness. Homeworld Security was still deciding what to do with her. She had just come home from Atlantis. Commanding SG-1 seemed like a step backward. She had already been to Groom Lake. And they weren't quite ready to give her a star and make her the CO of SGC.

To be honest, she wasn't quite sure she was ready for a star.

So she was in a weird limbo state, waiting to find out what was going to happen.

She wasn't just waiting to see what was going to happen with her career, she was waiting on Jack O'Neill. He had talked about retiring a few times, with more seriousness and more finality than he had in the past.

At least, that was what Daniel and Teal'c said. He had been talking to them more than he had been talking to her. Sure, he was never much of a poet, but she had expected to get some kind of regular correspondence from him while she was in Atlantis. She hadn't. In her year there, they had exchanged a dozen or two dozen emails. By comparison, Daniel emailed her almost every day, and she heard from Teal'c and Cam weekly. She even got more regular emails from Vala, who hated writing letters.

This was supposed to be it, right? She was almost forty, and he was sixty. They had been beating around the bush for over ten years. Wasn't it about time they finally went for it?

She had been in love with him for over ten years, and had been primarily single since she broke it off with Jonas because of it. Of course, there had been Pete. And Pete had been great, but Dad had convinced her not to settle. So she continued to wait and continued to live alone.

She had spoken with Jack a few times since getting back from Atlantis, but he hadn't said much. In his defense, most of those meetings had been either been at the Pentagon or at assorted football or hockey parties they had both attended.

She would ask Teal'c if Jack had said anything recently. He would be there soon to pick her up for dinner. Teal'c was in D.C. for a few days, and she always loved seeing him.

He said he would pick her up at six, and at 5:58, there was a knock on her door. She opened it to reveal Teal'c wearing a signature fedora and holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Teal'c," she smiled. "You didn't have to."

"You had mentioned distaste with your current living arrangements. I am attempting to remedy that."

She took them and gave him a one armed hug. "Come on in while I find a vase. I'm not even sure if I have one."

He followed her into the kitchen and stood near the door, unobtrusively, as she opened and shut every cupboard door, looking for a vase. "How have you been?" she asked.

"I have been well. I have recently spent some months with Rya'c and my three grandchildren."

"Three!"

Teal'c did a passable impression of a grandfather beaming with pride. "The most recent pregnancy resulted in twins. Two strapping females."

"Oh, Teal'c, I bet they're cute." She found a vase and put the flowers in water.

"They are indeed. And their elder brother is assuming his role well."

"Shall we?" she asked.

"We shall."

They headed towards the door, and he helped her into her jacket.

"Where are we going?"

"Pedicini's."

"Italian! I've been craving good Italian for like six months! How did you know?"

"When I visited Atlantis, you made a comment: 'I would kill for a good lasagna.' I assure you, no aggression required."

"You are too good for me."

"That, I assure you, is not true."

They had a very pleasant dinner, just the two of them. They caught up, talked about friends, and laughed. She really had missed him. He sobered slightly when she asked about Jack. He told her that Jack had mentioned retirement and wanted to just get to Minnesota.

Sam couldn't help but notice Teal'c changed the subject quickly.

He paid for her meal and offered her his arm as they walked back to her rented apartment. He gently held her hand against his upper arm while they walked. Sam couldn't remember the last time she walked arm-in-arm with a man, and naturally leaned on him slightly.

"D'you want a drink?" she asked as she unlocked her front door.

"Perhaps next time," he said. "I intend on being in the city until Monday. Would you like to go to the Smithsonian tomorrow?"

There was something about his question that jogged her memory, made her think of something. She wasn't quite sure of what. He had been acting weird all night. He had never given her flowers before. He paid for her dinner, he offered her his arm.

"Teal'c, what was this?"

He didn't answer.

"Was this a date?"

"I had hoped not to broach the subject so soon."

"What subject?" she asked, entirely uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Perhaps we should go inside."

She let him in and they moved to the living room. Sam sat on the couch, Teal'c joined her, leaving a large space between them.

"I have become increasingly aware of my solitude, as of late. My child is grown, and has children of his own. The false Gods which I dedicated my life to deposing have been scattered across the galaxy. While there are still enemies at the gates, there always will be, and I will continue to oppose them. However, in our years aboard Odyssey, I became aware of existence outside the war.

"In the past year, I have become increasingly aware your absence in my life. Of your own solitude . . ."

Sam's mouth had fallen open somewhere during his confession. "On the Odyssey . . ." she asked.

He shook his head. "We were not physically intimate."

"But we were emotionally . . . Intimate," the word felt odd to say. To him. About him.

"When you live with four others in a confined space for decades, you become very emotionally intimate."

"But you and I weren't like the others."

He shook his head. "No, we were not."

Sam covered her eyes with her hands. "Teal'c, I don't know what to do with this."

"I know." He paused. "You will want to speak with O'Neill."

"Well, before that." She dropped her hands and looked at him. "I've done this before. I broke it off with Pete because I couldn't be with someone who loved me more than I loved them."

Teal'c shook his head. "No, Samantha, our love is not measured as such. They are different forms of love, but one is not greater than the other."

"I don't know if I could ever feel that way about you."

"Nor am I asking you to. I am asking you to allow me to be your companion in life. Or, at the very least, for a trial run."

She stammered for a second.

Teal'c held up his hand to stop her. "I have overwhelmed you, which was certainly not my intention. I will leave you to consider. Remember, your response does not affect our friendship."

She nodded.

"Good night."

Sam nodded again and watched him show himself out.

She had honestly never thought of Teal'c as a romantic partner. As a boyfriend. As a lover . . . She couldn't believe she was actually thinking about this. She had always assumed that after they stopped being on SG-1 together, she and Jack would get together.

Sam recalled an uncomfortable conversation with Jennifer Keller about him, and how he was going to retire soon.

Well, with the Icarus Project starting up, Jack's retirement kept getting delayed.

Neither one of them were getting any younger. And while she had been avoid admitting it to herself, her window of opportunity for having children of her own was closing quickly.

Jack probably wouldn't even want children now. He was over sixty, many of his friends (acquaintances, he didn't have many friends) had grandchildren.

It wasn't that she was lonely. Well, she was lonely, but that wasn't the problem. Having someone in her life sounded so tempting.

And Teal'c. She loved Teal'c.

But she was in love with Jack O'Neill.

Sam got up and went to her fridge for the bottle of wine she had opened two days ago, and poured herself a glass. The flowers Teal'c had given her were sitting on the counter.

Sam took a big gulp out of her glass. Well, she was just about due for a mid-life crisis.

\- - End Chapter One - -


	2. Chapter 2

Another Kind of Love

Chapter 2

Based upon Stargate SG:1 and Stargate: Atlantis

\- - Washington, D.C. - -

It was a good thing that it was Saturday, because Sam couldn't concentrate on anything. She hadn't slept a wink last night. So, she did what Sam Carter does and that's make a Pros and Cons list. The list was entitled "Dating Teal'c:"

PROS

Permanent home

Good cook

Wouldn't have to cook every day

Handy around the house

Likes gardening

Wouldn't mind a cat

Will probably buy me flowers

Easy to sleep next to (she had done that a few times before, he was warm and didn't snore)

Running buddy

Always someone to do things with

CONS

Don't know if I could ever sleep with him

Genetically compatible?

Might ruin his and Jack's friendship

Would be weird?

Not in love with him

I'm still in love with Jack

Sam looked up at the clock, it was well after dinner. Had she eaten dinner? Kind of. She had had some food midafternoon, after she realized she hadn't eaten lunch. She wasn't particularly hungry now. She had been avoiding it all day, but this wasn't a decision she could make on her own. She needed to talk to Jack. Before she talked herself out of it, she dialed his number.

It rang three times.

"What's up, Carter?"

"Not much. What are you doing right now?

He paused. In her mind's eye, she could see him looking around. "Watching National Geographic."

"Do you mind if I come over, there's something I'll like to talk to you about."

"Sure. Come on over."

Her mind raced the whole way there. She ran through the conversation a million times. And by the time she was standing outside his door, Sam still had no idea what to say.

She knocked twice. He answered the door after a minute. Jack was wearing a pair of old sweat pants and plain white t-shirt. He probably hadn't gotten dressed that day.

"Hey, Carter, what brings you by this fine evening?" He stepped aside and let her in.

"I had the weirdest conversation yesterday. And I need to talk to you about it."

He must've sensed her tone, because he didn't crack a joke. "Do you want something to drink?

She shook her head. He helped himself to a beer, she saw three empties on the kitchen counter. He gestured toward the couch and she took a seat as he settled back to the lay-z-boy. The T.V. was on mute.

After a minute or so, he finally spoke. "So what happened?"

She took a deep breath. "I had dinner with Teal'c yesterday."

"How's the big guy doing?"

He interrupted her train of thought. "Um . . .fine. He's fine . . ." She bit her thumbnail, thinking.

"Oh, just out with it, Carter."

"He wants to be with me," she blurted.

"What?"

"Teal'c. He wants for me and him to be a thing."

He regarded her carefully. "What kinda thing?"

"You know . . . A thing. A romantic thing."

"Oh."

She nodded.

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"So what do you think about that?" she finally asked him.

"What do you mean, what do I think?"

Sam frowned. "I want to know how you feel about that."

Jack looked mildly confused and disinterested. "I feel happy for my friends because love is magic?"

"Jack, I'm trying to be serious here," she snapped.

"Okay, fine. I don't understand why you're telling me all this like this."

"I'm telling you because of us!"

"What do you mean us?"

"Will you stop acting you don't know what I'm talking about?" she was almost shouting now, and he was getting equally irritated.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Do you want my permission? Yeah, sure, go for it. Why should I care?"

Sam leaned back in surprise. "Why should you care? You should care because I was waiting for you and I thought you were waiting for me."

"Why would you wait for me, Carter? And what would I be waiting for?"

She buried her head in her hands for a moment, composing herself. Sam continued in a normal volume, but a harsh tone. "Are you telling me that I have wasted the last few years of my life waiting for a man who didn't want me?"

"Don't pin this on me, Carter. I didn't know you were waiting."

"Bullshit! You knew exactly what I was doing and exactly why!"

He started to shake his head.

"I have been in love with you for most of my adult life. And now I feel so foolish." Sam blinked a few times, feeling the tears pool.

"If I had known," he started to defend himself.

Sam interrupted him, shouting again, tears rolling down her face. "You did know! And you didn't say anything. You just let me string myself along for all these years. You let me waste the best years that I could've given to someone." Sam sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I am too old to start having kids and I missed that opportunity because you were too much of a coward to tell me that you wouldn't ever want to be with me."

Jack was done trying to defend himself.

She buried her face in her hands again. "You know that feeling when your entire life is crashing down around you? That everything you've ever done no longer matters, and you're looking at the broken pieces wondering where to go from here?" She looked up, her tone turning dark. "Of course you do. Because that's every day for you, isn't it? And misery loves company so you couldn't wait to pull someone else down with you."

Sam gave him a few moments to respond. He said nothing.

"Silence to the end. I guess it's what you're good at." She stood. "Good bye, Jack. Thanks for wasting for my time."

So, she got up and left. She didn't storm out dramatically. She just left, silent tears running down her face and feeling foolish. By the time Sam got to her car, the tears were no longer silent and she was just sobbing. It took a couple minutes for her to compose herself.

Once she stopped crying and realized how long she'd been down there and he still hadn't come after her, she cried a little more.

No. No. She needed to stop wasting her time on him. She picked up her phone and dialed Teal'c.

"Good evening," he answered.

"Hey," she sniffled. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"I am not."

"I just talked to Jack, do you want to come over?"

"It sounds as if your conversation did not go well."

"Serves me right. He's a selfish coward and always has been. I can't believe I didn't see it until now."

He was silent for a moment. "Would you like me to bring anything?"

"A pizza would be nice."

"Pizza it is. I will be along directly."

Sam wiped the tears from her eyes. She was done wasting her time.

\- - END - -


	3. Chapter 3

Another Kind of Love

Epilogue

Based upon Stargate SG:1 and Stargate: Atlantis

\- - Two Years Later, Christmas, Daniel's House - -

She had seen him when they walked in. She waved, but didn't go to say 'hi.' She saw Jennifer Haley and went to say hello to her first.

They'd been there for about an hour when Daniel and Jack came over with another plate of cheese and crackers. "Reynolds, please tell me you're not telling that Stuttgart story again," Jack said. "Carter's probably heard it a dozen times, she's just being nice."

Reynolds laughed. "Actually I wasn't. That's just the story I tell to shut you up."

Jack laughed.

At this point, Reynolds excused himself to find another beer and Daniel was called away to get out more mini cheese cakes, leaving Sam and Jack by themselves.

"So . . . Carter," Jack said with typical falsely uncomfortable tone. "How you been?"

"Good."

"And Teal'c?"

Sam smiled. "Good."

"Things worked out between you two?"

"Yeah."

He looked around, clearly uncomfortable.

She smiled. "Don't worry, Jack, I'm not pissed at you anymore."

"Well, that's good."

"How have you been doing, Jack?"

"Oh, you know, loving life, as usual. I get to go to Minnesota once every month or two. Haven't caught a fish in months . . ."

She smiled, "That's what happens in a lake with no fish."

Teal'c walked over with Sadie close on his heels. She sat calmly and rested her snout against his knee.

"I thought you were a cat person," Jack asked.

"I am. But Teal'c wanted to raise guide dogs. Sadie is our second. Sometimes you've gotta make compromises for the people you love."

"For example, there is much more vegetation inside our home than I would have chosen on my own."

Sam smiled up at Teal'c. "He's talking about the ferns and the philodendron."

There was a long pause. "So it really worked out between you two?"

Sam nodded, glancing up at Teal'c. "When we got together, I was just trying it out. I didn't want to be alone anymore. But now I can't imagine living without him."

Jack took a sip of his beer. "I'm glad."

For a split second, Sam could believe that he was. But, she no longer cared about what Jack thought. She was happy without him.

\- - END - -


End file.
